Michaela Lumpert, Campus Carrier Staff Writer
Over my spring break, I got to knock one thing off my bucket list. I went to see the off-Broadway production of Friends! The Musical Parody. Now, to say that I am a “Friends” fan is a complete understatement — I am “Friends” fanatic. I have seen every episode at least 5 or 6 times now; I watch it religiously. It is definitely my all-time favorite show.
For my birthday, my mom handed me the tickets, and I counted down the days until I got to see it. Now going into it, I knew it was going to be a musical, so I assumed there was going to a couple songs here and there. What really happened blew me away.
The show was about two hours long, and it was filled with songs. There had to have been at least 12 different songs, each character singing about one of the unrealistic themes in the show. I was a little nervous at first, because I didn’t want to see my favorite show get bashed for two hours. But this was tasteful teasing of the show. They went through all ten seasons of “Friends” in two hours, with random asides to the audience, making fun of different aspects of their characters and the themes in the show. One of these asides was how Jennifer Aniston has not changed since being on the show. Her character would make random comments that would promote Aveeno and other products that she currently markets for.
Normally, parodies of different movies and shows are never any good. They are usually just made for fans to laugh at and make fun of the original content of the show. They are never taken seriously or looked at highly because it’s basically a remake of the original show. No one really enters a parody expecting it to be better than the original.
The “Friends” musical brings parodies to a whole new level. It was like the best moments of every season and parody all into one. And the fact that it’s a musical makes the entire idea even better. When you watch the show on Netflix, you are used to the idea of watching something that has been prerecorded. Having it performed live in front of you creates this exciting environment. The entire audience is buzzing with excitement because it’s all their favorite show too. The actors and actresses are feeding off our laughter and our excitement, bringing a whole new level of energy that a screen can’t give you. It honestly felt like I was sitting in the audience for one of the recordings of the show.
So, if you ever find yourself in New York, and you have seen the show “Friends,” I would definitely recommend a visit to the world’s greatest musical. It will fill you with laughter and make you wonder: were Ross and Rachel really on a break? Did Phoebe know that they knew they know they know? Did Chandler actually move to Yemen?